


love that lasts

by SmilingCheshire



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adam is mentioned, Angst, Jealous Shiro (Voltron), M/M, Pining Shiro (Voltron), Sheith Angst Week 2018, Unrequited Love, but it definitely is now, day 1: unrequited love, it might not have been unrequited at some point
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-04 02:59:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15832374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmilingCheshire/pseuds/SmilingCheshire
Summary: Shiro wishes he realized sooner.





	love that lasts

Shiro isn’t sure when it starts, but that is how love usually is. It’s unpredictable and wild and  _ cruel _ . Falling in love with Keith is one of the easiest things he’s ever done, he falls hard and fast which he doesn’t mind, love often sneaks up on you.

Matt notices, which is perfect. Matt has a way of knowing things about Shiro that even he doesn’t kn0w. So Shiro isn’t that surprised when Matt corners him one day, in some remote corner of the Garrison. He’s without his partner, Shiro’s not sure what they’re doing but they seem close with Olia. 

Matt looks at Shiro with narrowed eyes, “You love him.” It’s not a question. Matt has seen him looking at Keith with adoring eyes, even as he sleeps. Matt had seen him when the Lions crashed, had seen how he panicked when they found Keith, bloody and unconscious. 

It reminds Shiro of another conversation they had once, on the Castle of Lions. Matt had confronted him about Keith before he even knew about his feelings, looking at him with questioning eyes and asking how he truly felt about Keith. This time, at least, he doesn’t try to deny it. “Yes,” he says, voice hoarse and on the verge of tears.

Shiro knows it’ll never happen and so does Matt. They had seen how James look at Keith, how he had taken Keith’s hand while he was in a coma and whispered about unspoken feelings. James had had tears in his eyes, holding onto Keith’s hand like a life line. 

“I should have told you,” James had said, barely loud enough for Shiro to hear. “I’ve been in love with you for years and I know you thought of our relationship as casual but I didn’t. I didn’t mind that you did, really, but I wished you felt the same. God, I thought I buried these feelings years ago but seeing you again brought them all back up. I love you, Keith.”

A weight dropped on Shiro. Keith had never told him about a relationship with James, barely even mentioned the other boy. James had fallen in love with Keith, love that spanned years. Shiro’s love for Keith is new and untested.

It’s hard to slip away but he needs to think. 

Matt finds him not long after this.

“I’m sorry,” Matt says, wrapping his arms around Shiro. Shiro rests his head on Matt’s shoulder and curls in on his best friend.

Shiro’s not sorry for falling in love with Keith, he’s one of the best things to ever happen to him, but he’s sorry for not realizing sooner.

 

 

* * *

It’s harder after Keith wakes up, Shiro begins to realize. His throat is tight around Keith and his heart soars.  _ You’ve got it bad _ , a voice that sounds like Matt says in his head and sadly, it’s true. Shiro hasn’t felt like this before, not even with Adam.

James hasn’t worked up the courage to confess now that Keith is awake, and secretly, Shiro is glad. It makes him naseous that he’s glad but it doesn’t make it stop. 

Shiro’s happy because that means Keith spends his time with  _ him _ and Keith reserves secret smiles for him and only him. Keith is his best friend and quite possibly, the love of his life

It’s during one of these times that James approaches them, when it’s just Shiro and Keith. He’s nervous, they both can tell, but he looks at Keith with adoring eyes (his eye color is fake, Shiro decides, because his eyes are pink and Keith is the only one whose allowed to have unnatural eyes) and Shiro knows what’s going to happen next.  _ He’s going to confess _ , a traitorous part of Shiro’s mind tells him and Shiro wishes that it’s not true.

James is biting his lip when he sits down at their table, his hair is mussed up and he only has eyes for Keith. “Can I talk to you?” He asks him, voice edged with anxiety.

Keith looks up and shrugs, “Sure.

James doesn’t waste any time in his confession, “I’m in love with you.” He says it bluntly, almost wincing and a part of Shiro dies inside.

Keith freezes, “Really?” He asks in a small voice, unbelieving.

It takes all of Shiro’s willpower to chuckle and say, “I think this is a private conversation.”

He gets up and leaves, barely holding back tears.

He and Keith were never meant to be.


End file.
